M27 · Dumbbell Nebula
| Chinese name | 哑铃星云 |
|---|---|
| Type | Planetary nebula |
| Constellation | Vul |
| RA | 19h59m |
| Dec | +22° |
| Apparent magnitude | 7.5ᵐ |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Best season | Summer |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Focal length | 长焦 1000mm+ |
About
The Dumbbell Nebula (M27, NGC 6853) lies about 1,360 light-years away in Vulpecula and is the brightest, largest planetary nebula in the sky, as well as the first ever recorded, discovered by Messier in 1764. Built from the gas shell cast off by a dying star, it shows a two-lobed dumbbell (or apple-core) shape presented face-on. The nebula glows in twin tones of teal O III and red-pink hydrogen, with a hot, slowly cooling white dwarf at its center. High in surface brightness and easy to observe and image, it is an ideal beginner's planetary-nebula target, its color and symmetric structure especially captivating at long focal lengths.